20-K

Hello and good morning, -afternoon, -evening, dear people who all participate is this wonderful photo-meme, which is a joy to me, week after week, after week. I’m always curious to what you come up with!

The challenging letter of this week is K and I’ve chosen for: KOALA

Originated from eastern Australia, they nowadays can also be found in Europe but only in zoo’s. They feed solely on eucalyptus and eat appr. for 4 hrs a day, the other hours they sleep. They never have thirst because of the moisture in the eucalyptusleaves. They mostly live in solitude and are also know for their sound, they make the sound that sounds very similar to the barking of a dog.
Early 20th century they were endangered but thanks to the effort of lots of people extinction was prevented, thankfully. They’re lovely looks had certainly something to do with that. The largest population resides on Kangaroo-island.

Generally there are 3 species of Koalas; Victoria-Koala, Queensland-Koala en de New South Wales-Koala. The Victoria-Koala has a thick darkbrown fur. The Queensland-Koala has a thinner (blue-gray) fur because it lives in a much warmer area. The New South Wales Koala (the most common version) has a gray fur. Koala’s are very good swimmers but don’t feel happy on the ground, and they are one of the very few mammals who don’t build nests. The young Koala has to stand on its own feet from aprox. 1 year of age.

The one on the photo lives in a Belgian Zoo, in Antwerp to be precise, which is a 3hrs. drive to the southe from where I live.
I photographed him/her last januari.

These koalas don’t sleep much do they?
As to your question why I put all the challenges in one week, instead of one per post.
Several reasons, but time is number one. If inspiration to paint hits, or things going on with the grand kids, or am travelling, I am not able to blog for several days, so I often do several weeks of blogging in one or two sittings. Then, my posts always have a theme. I like to fit all the memes/challenges in that theme/story. One day a post does not work for me and my photographic skills are not developed enough for that either:)

Aha okay, I thought as much 😉
You have wordpress though, did you know you can plan ahead? On days which are emty in my calendar I always make several blogposts and schedule them for the day I want them to be published…

Your photographyskills are very well, you should not judge yourself to bad in the negative way 😉

Hello Melody, Thank you for all the kind comments you make on my blog. You will be a wonderful ABC Wednesday host. I just hope you will have some help. It is a big job. I know that you love animals and you have some wonderful photos here, but I’m sorry that I really feel very sad for all animals imprisoned in zoos. I know in my heart that it is wrong to confine them, even if people think the zoo is well planned. There should only be sanctuaries that care for animals if needed and these should be closed to the public. I began to understand this after learning about elephants that live in a sanctuary in Tennessee. It is a rescue for older elephants who suffer now because they spent their lives either in circuses or zoos. The best part is that no visitors are permitted to go there. Only the experts who care for them have contact with them and these people take years to bond with them. The elephants have the freedom to live inside or outside as they choose and to roam over many acres. This is the web site. http://www.elephants.com If you have time, I hope you will visit that web site. It changed my thinking completely. All the best to you and many thanks again for comments on my blog!

Thank you for your elaborate comment, I truly appreciate it and I totally agree with you!!

On the other hand I do love Zoo’s because I love to see animals… especially when they are taken very good care of, like they do in our Dutch zoo’s. I, like you, wish that zoo’s did not exist, and that all animales could live free and safe as they should and deserve but very sadly enough the world does not allow that. Many people got (still are getting) very rich from the hunt and criminal activities done to animales all over the world. I realize it is a very great paradox but the whole world is too. Many governments say they act against the bad but in fact the only thing they do it get richer from it

The link you provides I know… I’ve seen it on tv also and I know about it from the internet as well. .